


Occulttale

by Occulttale



Series: Occulttale AU [1]
Category: Undertale (Video Game)
Genre: Chipping, Depression, Dimension Travel, F/F, F/M, M/M, Magic, Major Character Injury, Major character death - Freeform, Minor Character Death, Other, Pining, Runix needs hugs, Self Harm, Suicide, Survivors Guilt, accident prone Runix, blue and runix pining after sans and red, default state for Runix is the the bean being alone in his au, mentioned genocide, mentioned past self harm, running away from problems
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-17
Updated: 2018-06-06
Packaged: 2018-08-12 22:33:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 19,019
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7951786
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Occulttale/pseuds/Occulttale
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Things are different in this version of the underground.<br/>"It's ok Sans, I forgive you. I may not know what you are going through to cause you to act this way but no matter what I love you brother." Papyrus mutters as he turns to dust, Sans' screams of agony going unheard from the prison his own body had become the moment 'it' took over and started using him like a puppet.<br/>Killing everyone over and over again possessing Sans' form to truly betray his friends.<br/>(Bad thymes now with more angst)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Dirty “Brother” Killer

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Undergroud. A sealed off mountain range within a collection of islands guarded by the ancient Mythomagi and their Human allies. Monsters sealed within. Genocide is in the air and Sans tries everything to prevent total destruction of everything he holds dear under the mountains.

"SANS! WAKE UP LAZYBONES ITS TIME TO GET UP AND GREET THE DAY! I MADE BREAKFAST SPAGHETTI! HURRY UP OR IT WILL GET COLD!" Papyrus yells from down the stairs, his footfalls echoing as he re-enters the kitchen. I grumble quietly as the last resets events flash through my head. My bones pop as I throw my black hoodie over the dark blue sweater I'm constantly wearing on adjusting the sleeves absentmindedly as I shuffle towards my bedroom door. 

 

"Comin Paps," I grumble as I groggily shamble out the door of my room, rubbing my eye sockets of sleep as I half-shamble down the stairs. Stopping at the fridge on the way to the table I grab a ketchup bottle and sip from it slowly, savoring the tang of the ketchup inside the red container. Papyrus is already dressed for the day in his 'battle body' which consists of his usual black combat boots, studded red-dyed hide pants, a black t-shirt with the usual triple moon symbol of the royal family on the left side and the red scarf I made him last year that draped over his shoulders almost cape-like. 

 

"Sup bro. Sorry i slept so late, I was 'bone-tired' from yesterday." I joke at him chuckling as he shakes in frustration from my pun. When he turns around he looks exasperated from my pun. 

 

"ITS TOO EARLY FOR YOUR PUNS BROTHER! AND WHAT DO YOU MEAN TIRED? ALL YOU DID WAS SLEEP YESTERDAY! IM GOING TO TRAIN AT UNDYNE'S AND THEN RECALIBRATE MY PUZZLES! YOU SHOULD DO YOURS TOO SANS THEY HAVN'T BEEN DONE IN WEEKS!" Papyrus chastises as he finishes cleaning his dishes, going to the front door as he speaks. 

 

"Sure thing bro," I say as he runs out the door, scarf whipping in the wind as the door slams behind him. My grin drops as soon as the door clicks shut. I'm not feeling so 'hungary' anymore so I just put the spaghetti in a container in the fridge and take another ketchup bottle and guzzle it down. 

 

"Ugh" I mumble as I port to my room, going back to sleep as soon as my skull meets the meager mattress that serves as my bed to take a short nap my mind plagued with images of a red scarf buried in the snow covered in orange-tinted dust. My memories swirl around my head like one of those natural disasters written about in some of the books in the Librarby. It takes what feels like hours to finally drift off into a restless sleep.

 

Waking up a few hours later, I teleport down to my ‘lab' in Waterfall to experiment with the doses of concentrated magic and determination today to see how much I can handle before my magic goes haywire again. Sure Paps will no doubt scold me that I slacked off again if he finds out but its a fair trade off if I can figure out how to fix the anomaly and get rid of the resets forever. That demon has been a thorn in my side for too long. I'll do anything for Papyrus to be able to see the sunlight or feel a cool summer breeze or to watch the leaves change color in the fall as the seasons change. 

 

The only idea he has of the surface is books delivered from the surface with the other supplies and my own vague memories of before those ‘holy knight' humans attacked. At least we have allies working to break the barrier from the other side. Unfortunately, neither of us on either side of the barrier seems to be making much headway. Sighing, I summon my spell book floating beside me to the right recipe, the seven empty heart-shaped containers on the front cover barely catching my attention as I open to the page I was on the last reset. I try not to think about how there used to not be seven heart-shaped holes in my grimoire. 

 

Humming as I mix the ingredients into the cauldron and set it to a boil, colors swirling in the mixture as I lower the brew back down into a low simmer. Then I get a small amount more than yesterday of the determination and concentrated magic mixture. When I drop it into the cauldron it bubbles and fizzes almost exploding out of the cauldron for a minute before settling to a gentle burble. Turning off the fire I use my magic to cool the mixture as I prepare the syringe. When the contents are cool, I use my magic to condense what I've made enough to fit into the syringe. Taking the syringe in my hand I bring the bubble of the solution to it and fill the syringe with it using all of it. Sitting down I mentally prepare myself for the painful part, injecting the concentrated solution into my very fragile soul. 

 

Summoning my dark blue soul I hold it up and slowly inject the solution into my soul with the syringe. At first, nothing happens then it starts to tingle, energy flowing through me like a dam had been burst and I was at the bottom. Shrugging it off I port to my station to sleep off the effects that will no doubt hit soon, hopefully, Papyrus won't arrive to check on me for a good while. The second I materialize at my station I collapse in pain against its worn wood, slumping into the cold snow under my station as consciousness leaves me.

 

Hours later

 

"SANS YOU LAZYBONES WAKE UP! YOU CANT SLEEP AT YOUR STATION!" 

 

"…….."

 

"SANS?"

 

"……."

 

SANS WAKE UP!"

 

"……."

 

"SANS THIS ISN'T FUNNY PLEASE WAKE UP!!"

 

‘Papyrus…..?' I wonder as I vaguely hear his voice as if I'm underwater. I feel myself being picked up and carried somewhere by his familiar grip, consciousness fading in and out as Papyrus runs somewhere carrying me with him. I wonder what he's so worried about, I sleep at my station all the thyme. Heh, thyme. 

 

When I fade back into consciousness I'm in Alphys greenhouse/lab laying in a bed made of moss. I can vaguely hear voices from the other room sounding like Papyrus, Undyne, and Alphys having some kind of discussion. I can hear the worried tone Papyrus is using as he isn't even speaking in his usual vigor. Trying to get up proves difficult as pain shoots up my ribs from the scar taking up from my right hip to my left clavicle. 

 

Looking around I notice my clothes folded neatly in the plush chair across the stone path in the secluded corner of the greenhouse I am in. The ‘room' is separated from the rest of the greenhouse by the branches of a rather large weeping willow that stands tall in the middle of the area, the stone path cutting through the soft grass going around it. Wait if they took my clothes then that means…..they've seen my other scars. Shitt. Now I've got to explain to Papyrus, Alphys, and Undyne how I got them. Stars this is going to be awkward especially when they ask about the more prominent ones on my arms. I definitely can't pass those off as not self-inflicted. Hearing their voices approaching I tense and try to pretend to be still asleep.

 

"I just don't know Undyne, why would he have those other scars. I remember the majority of them happened before I was old enough to remember but…." Papyrus' voice rings out, eerily quiet in the greenhouse. 

 

"Yeah, the large one and the ones on his arms I know. We at least know the large one doesn't seem self-inflicted. I'm going to go grill the dogs to see if they smelled anything unusual recently, maybe we'll find who did this to him." Undyne's voice replies lacking her usual exuberance before it trails off as she and Alphys leave the room leaving only myself and Papyrus. 

 

"Sans I know you are aware there's no need to feign sleep anymore. Please tell me what happened, why did you do that to yourself? Who attacked you?" Papyrus asks, placing a hand on my uninjured shoulder. 

 

"No one attacked me Paps. (At least not yet this run) These scars are almost as old as the others ya got nothing to worry about I ain't tryin two leaf ya." I manage, smiling disarmingly to throw him off. 

 

"I'm sure you are brother. Wait a minute. Did…..did you just make a pun? Well, I guess if your ok to make those you are fine. But I'm keeping an eye on you?" Papyrus finishes, squinting at me suspiciously. 

 

"Don't ya mean eye socket bro?" I tease him, glad that subtle spell worked.

 

As soon as Alphys clears me the both of us go home, Papyrus insisting he carries me the whole way. Not that I complain since I nap the whole thyme. Although I could do without his constant checking on me. How am I supposed to work on stopping the resets if I keep having to dodge my own bro? This goes on for a few more weeks as I keep secretly working on the solution. Papyrus started getting suspicious after the spell wore off so I have to limit to every other day while the days I wasn't doing so I was either at my station or making puns with Toriel. 

 

She doesn't ever seem to recognize my voice from when I and Paps stayed with her in the ruins as children for a while. Once again she asks me to promise her to make sure the next child is unharmed and I agree with a heavy soul. How am I supposed to tell her I've lived this over and over again. Or that the child she thinks might come is a demon in disguise coming to try and eradicate all of monster kind. So I lie and keep going as usual. It's a few days later as I approach the door that I hear it creak open ominously. Porting to a tree so I can watch from an unseen distance I wait for them to come out. This thyme though, the ‘child' opens the door wide. Green tinted dust scatters to the cold breeze and into the forest getting some on them. Not that they seem to care with how they are twirling the knife so nonchalantly. Why can't they ever be, I dunno, not genocidal?

 

Watching as they pass the tree I'm in, I merely greet them plainly holding the hand that has the whoopee cushion in it. Their eyes blank as they stare at me after the fart noise sounds. Chuckling awkwardly I go back to the script and they shamble off like some kind of zombie to the lamp right as Papyrus arrives. I'd cut them off here since I already know they're gonna be genocidal this round like always but I never want Papyrus to walk up to my dust ever again. 

 

The five times it happened was enough. After their whole introduction and the first few of the puzzles, I decided to go back to the house to take a nap and check in my lab. No doubt my brother is about to confront the human soon about the monsters missing. I should stop the ‘human' from doing this but it'll just reset or watch as Papyrus mourn over my dust before doing what they wanted to all along while he's distracted. I jolt awake from the nightmare of the run where I took the killing blow for Papyrus. Shuddering at those thoughts, the image of Papyrus' look as he sees me dust right in front of him wasn't worth it. Never again. Rushing out of the house I neglect porting as I hurry to the spot Papyrus normally confronts the ‘human'. 

 

What I find next chills me to the bone. No matter how many times I see this it always hurts. His scarf is lying in a pile of orange tinted dust. I pick up the scarf and bawl into its soft texture for what feels like hours. As I get my hysteria under control, a cold rage grips me and I know what I have to do. I quickly teleport to my lab and take all of the remaining potent magick and determination and quickly before I can talk myself out of it, injects it directly into my soul. My world explodes into pain as I black out. 

 

When I come to I'm in the judgment hall, having somehow moved on autopilot to get there. I only have enough time for my vision to clear before I hear footsteps on the other end of the hall. The dirty brother killer is here, thyme to see if all this effort in the past weeks is worth it. As they shamble forward I step from behind the pillar like countless other times. They pause, their dead stare and the manic grin almost giving me pause. Almost. 

 

"So you've been busy I see. The birds aren't chirping, the wind is chilling and dirty brother killers like you…….."

 

"S H O U L D B E B U R N I N G I N H E L L"

 

Their first dozen or so deaths come quickly, my new amped-up magic and stamina making quick work of them. I quickly lose count of how many times I've killed them as the fight rages on, damaging the judgment hall with its fury. It's only a matter of time before they rid me of the single one hp I have. They've already managed to nick me with that demented knife of theirs but surprisingly the slight cut didn't even put a dent in my hp. I guess my defense went through the roof with all those injections. 

 

Hopefully, they'll give up soon so I can rest. I start to get exhausted at this point, declaring my special attack which as the two of us knows is absolutely nothing. Fighting off sleep is difficult but I manage for a while, their dear stare boring into me as I fight to stay awake. The last thing I remember before everything goes dark is the child lunging at me for a final strike and I know I won't dodge in time. The pain causing me to stumble as I struggle to stay standing, glaring at their retreating back as I slowly turn to dust.

 

RESET

 

YES NO

 

You feel as if something changed. A lot of something. This next run will be interesting……

 

Papyrus' POV

 

Finishing the breakfast spaghetti I place it on the table and go to Sans' door to wake him up. I used to shake him awake but he started having bad nightmares and would accidentally attack me when I would wake him up. 

 

"SANS YOU LAZYBONES WAKE UP I HAVE BREAKFAST SPAGHETTI READY FOR YOU ON THE TABLE." I went to turn to go back to the kitchen when I heard a loud thud and what sounded like bones snapping coming from Sans' room. Oh shitt. I burst through the door and frantically ran up to Sans' prone form on the floor. His blue hoodie had a gash in it like something sharp sliced through it and four of his ribs looked to be broken. I summon his soul to asses the damage.

 

Sans

Hp: 0.2/1

Atk: 2

Def: 10

Exhaustion, self-loathing, guilt

 

I quickly scooped him up as gently as possible and ran the whole way to hotland. Maybe Alphys can help. She's a witch doctor after all. When I got to her "lab" house thing, I pounded on the door as best as I could while holding Sans. 

 

"ALPHYS OPEN UP SOMETHING IS WRONG WITH SANS I DON'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED!" Surprisingly it was Undyne that opened the door in her casual clothes, which consisted of a black tank top with black cargo pants and black boots. She ushered me in and we laid Sans down on one of the beds Alphys has set up in a sort-of clinic like style. Alphys (wearing a dark green witches robe) immediately sets to work healing the damaged ribs while Undyne sits on the couch with me and lets me cry on her shoulder.

 

Alphys came back into the room and whispered something to Undyne. Undyne nods and leaves the room. Alphys looked at me sadly. 

 

"Papyrus has Sans been acting weird lately?" Not able to speak I just shook my head no. 

 

"You need to see this then" she stated solemnly and I follow numbly. I came into the room behind Alphys, but since I am taller than her by a foot I could see the damage at the doorway. I must have been standing there for a good minute because Alphys pulled me into the room to the bed and Undyne came back into the room with bandages. Sans is lying in the bed with countless scars covering every visible bone. 

 

The more prominent ones are one that goes diagonally across his torso and several going across his radius and ulna. Those looked rather, intentional. I couldn't recognize any of them except for the one carved into his shoulder blade, the symbol for ‘worthless'. It's rather faded and I almost miss it if I didn't know it was there. I then realized that this was the first time I had ever seen Sans without any kind of long shirt or zipped up jacket on since we were kids.

 

Alphys wrapped the cracked ribs that her magic couldn't heal and placed an iv drip directly into his dark blue soul. 

 

"I've never seen these before. But then again Sans has always worn long sleeves." I manage to mutter. I flinch as the iv pierces the magical skin of his soul. Alphys makes sure it's secure before she turns to me. "You may want to sit down," she says, looking down sadly. I sit in the chair closest to the bed, placing my hand on Sans' upper arm. 

 

"What is wrong with my brother Alphys? Please don't hide anything I get enough of hiding things from Sans himself. She looks torn before glancing at Undynes hand, which is on her shoulder as if to comfort her. 

 

"A good portion of the chippings on his bones are old and while this symbol on his shoulder. I had to give him a very large dose of determination and concentrated magic. He was on the verge of falling down. If you had got him here a few minutes later it would be too late." Alphys informs me for once without her stutter signifying how serious she is.

 

Oh. Well damn. What can I say to THAT? 

 

"Almost fell down?" I ask in confusion. Glancing at my brother and noting that he looks about as fragile as those teacups Asgore likes to drink his special tea out of. 

 

"We had to dispose of his blue coat because it was too damaged and stained with determination," Alphys tells me when I notice it isn't in the pile with the rest of his clothes. I nodded glumly, glancing at my brother worriedly. Alphys nods and turns to me. 

 

"I have to get a plant from deeper in my greenhouse. It should wake Sans up fine and Undyne will be going with me. If anything happens and I mean if he so much as twitches, call me." I nod at her and they walk out of the room. I turn to Sans' face as a few red-orange tears fall from my eyes. 

 

"What happened Sans? I know you are older and all but you can depend on me too sometimes you know." I whisper, orange-tinted tears dripping down my skull. 

 

Sans' POV

 

I woke up to a void. Welp. I try to move but find my movements prevented like some invisible force is holding me down. 

 

"Sans" 

 

What? Did someone call my name? Papyrus walks up to me and I gasp in shock at the condition he is in. He looks just like he does before the human kills him. 

 

"Sans, why didn't you save me? You could have if you weren't so lazy and useless. Do you enjoy watching me die every time the human comes? You lazy useless sack of bones." I try to reach out, cry out to him anything but just like I can't move I can't seem to speak either. Papyrus fades to dust, looking at me with the most hateful look I've ever seen on him. Then everything crumbles. 

 

I jerk awake to discover that, no I'm not in my bed and yes there's a needle attached to an iv sticking out of my soul. I hyperventilate at the sight of the needle and the realization that Papyrus myst have seen my ribs. Alphys and Undyne seeing them I can deal with, but Paps? Hell no. I barely register the iv being gently removed and a bottle of ketchup pressed to my hands, but I nearly guzzle the whole thing down in one go when I do.

 

"SANS?" Papyrus asks when he sees that I've finished my near panic attack. 

 

"Y-yeah bro?" I ask, bones shaking in an effort not to run. My arms itch and burn with the familiar ache to tear into them with my blunted claws but I refrain from doing so in front of Paps. 

 

"SANS YOU'VE BEEN ASLEEP FOR TWO WEEKS YOU ALMOST FELL DOWN. I WAS WORRIED BROTHER. I KNOW YOU ARE THE OLDEST BUT YOU SHOULD BE ABLE TO TELL ME IF SOMETHING IS BOTHERING YOU. WE COULD SOLVE IT TOGETHER." Heh. Fat chance of that. 

 

"Its nothing bro." I say, pulling that smile that I hide behind every reset. "It's ice that you asked and all. I've just been bone-tired is all. Didn't mean to spook ya bro." He looks like he doesn't buy it but drops it for now. The room stutters and spins. Must mean the demon has started another reset. I hope they stop with the genocide already. Its making my energy feel bone-dry. Heh vindictive little shitt.

 

I woke up earlier than Papyrus somehow. "Ugh" I groaned when I reviewed last run's memories. Welp, at least I had a plan. All I have to do is collect the ‘grimoire' that is supposed to be mine from the ‘true lab' with the six human souls embedded into it and somehow absorb the seventh human's soul before they had a chance to reset. 

 

The human should have a few days to appear so I should be able to be ready before they kill too many people. I feel bad about the monsters in the ruins, but if this all goes well I could just reset the timeline and there won't be a seventh human and everyone will be ok. I could live with being underground forever if it meant keeping my friends alive. If it meant keeping Papyrus alive. 

 

Deciding on my first action, I teleported to the kitchen and left a note for Paps that I would be working all day and not to worry. I left it on the fridge where he would be sure to see it and teleported to the dump. 

 

"Hmm. Now where is that spot again?" I mused to myself as I idly picked through the newer pile of miscellaneous items, finding an mp3 player with its charger still in working condition. I put those in my pocket and continued on until I reached a flat rock wall with a small stone sitting off to the side of it. I pressed down on the stone with my magic and the wall rose up to reveal a study chamber. Bookshelves lined the cavern walls filled with books and a cauldron in the middle and a desk with notes and bottles on it off to the side. 

 

The 'door' slides closed as I go to the desk and sit down. I used my magic to conjure the book I was currently studying and set it on the desk to 'read'. And by read I mean my magic absorbs the knowledge right to me and it saves time and energy on reading and taking notes. When I finish in my cavern, two days have passed. I take a shortcut straight to the room I had hidden the book in the familiar magyk reaching for me as it senses my approach six human souls glowing as they sit embedded into the front cover. I dismiss it before porting back I sit down in a beaten up plush chair I had found in the dump right before the resets started. 

 

Eye lights and markings blazing brightly I re-summon It above my outstretched palm. Floating above my hand it opens, immediately flipping to the page I need. I watch as the words lift off the page glowing as I mutter spell after spell preparing for what I'm about to do. Sighing as I get up I let the book hover above my cauldron already bubbling softly. Grabbing the concentrated magyk/determination mixture I slowly introduce it into the cauldron stirring it slowly. 

 

The mixture sinners and glows as the last bit is added, using a quick cooling spell to cool It down. Using gravity magic to take the cauldron full of now cooled potion and condensing it into several small pills I scoop them up swallowing the handful without hesitation. My magic pulses as the potion turned pills take effect, managing to port to my room as I black out before I hit the ground.

 

When I awake, everything is quiet. Leaving my cave, I go to walk around snowdin. That's strange, seems to be empty. 'I wonder where everyone is? The human better have not started genocide while I was gone' I thought while approaching where Papyrus normally confronted the human. As I approach I see a speck of red through the snow clouding my vision. 

 

"Paps?" I ask. No answer "Papyrus?" nothing. "PAPYRUS!" I shout as I break into a run. His scarf was peeking out from under the snow, dust having been blown away probably some time ago. Crouching in the snow, I clutch the scarf to my face, magical tears 

 

"No not Paps why damnitt why does this hurt so much nonononononono" at this point I was babbling into the scarf crying and screaming into the empty air. I came to still clutching the scarf like a lifeline. When I stood up my bones crackled ominously. Putting on the scarf and pulling my hood over my head, I teleported to the judgment hall to wait for the human. Leaning on the back of a pillar I nod off into a light sleep.

 

*slow footsteps on stone*

 

.......

 

*step step step*

 

.......

 

So they finally showed up. Heh. This kids gonna get dunked on. I walk around the pillar and face the small child. Hard to believe the murderer is so small but hey, so am I. 

 

"That looks like the face of someone who's had too much fun murdering an entire species," I comment. They simply raise the knife in their hand towards their face. Summoning my magic causing my eye lights and the markings to glow, all six hearts on my ‘grimoire' glowing as the pages flutter rapidly magical text emitting from the slightly glowing book. They die pretty quickly the first six times of my new tactics and increased power, the sheer amount of power I now control damaging the hall over and over again as they keep loading their save a maniacal grin on their face. 

 

"Heh. That looks like the face of someone whose died several times. Ready to give up kiddo, it doesn't have to be like this. Just give up, I did. Make my job easier if you did." I smirk as they approach. I had lost count of how many times we've done this song and dance. Sighing as they lunge again for me to dodge again. I had managed to get them to five hp this time. If I could manage to leave them at one or two hp I could try to absorb the soul before it disappears again. 

 

Slamming them against the wall, I manage to do just so. Now the hard part. I hold them still with my gravity magic and bring them close to me. One wrong move and I could die. Summoning my own soul, I begin to absorb theirs. Seeing what I'm trying to do, they struggle harder. I grunt, having to expend more magic to hold them still until their is absorbed into mine. My upside down dark blue heart now has a red right side up one around it. 

 

"Welp, should be able to reset now."

 

........

 

Continue

 

Reset

........

 

I wake up in my room to Papyrus telling me breakfast was ready. I think I jumped the railing in my haste to see him alive again. 

 

"WELL YOUR PRETTY LIVELY TODAY SANS. ITS ALMOST LIKE YOU HAVE NOT SEEN ME IN A WHILE. ARE YOU OK BROTHER?" 

 

"I'm fine Paps," I tell him. He goes to finish the spaghetti and pain erupts in my head around my right eye-socket. I manage not to make a noise but clutch at my eye to relieve some of the pressure. Papyrus finishes the spaghetti then heads out to train with Undyne. I eat slowly through the pain and place my dish in the sink, teleporting to my post and sitting down for a nap. I wake up at the door to the ruins, which is wide open. I'm covered in dust. Oh god I'm covered in dust. 

 

"What....how did....the door? Did I....? No." then I hear it. A chuckling in my head. 

 

"Who's there?" I ask, looking around. 

 

(I'm in your head, idiot. Unless you want them to think you're insane.) 

 

Who? 

 

(It's me. Ya know, the being whose soul resides with your own? I'm going to use you to murder everything you love while you are forced to watch. A prisoner in your own body. But first) they cut off as a familiar darkness takes over my vision. Oh no. This isn't what I wanted.

 

..........

 

Reset

 

..........


	2. Pain of the Mannequin

I wake up tied to a black marble slab, unable to move as thick chains hold me to it. Everywhere I look is darkness except for some screens that seemingly float in the void in front of me. 

 

[Its about time you woke up, trash] a dark voice rumbled through the empty space. 

 

"Where are you?" I growl angrily. "Let me go! Give me my body back!" 

 

[oh I don't think so smiley trash bag. You see I've made some changes to it.] 

 

The screens come to life, showing through my own eyes as if I'm watching a movie in some sort of weird out of body point of view. Except I'm a prisoner of my own body. I look exactly the same except that all my teeth are pointed rather than my canines and the colors of my markings are flipped, the pentacle and connecting lines that go down to my collar bone are red while the normally red ones that are on the corner of my eye sockets are blue. 

 

I realize that we are in Toriels home in the very same room Papyrus and I stayed in when she took us from the capital after the incident with the core and…..his crimes. 

 

[Now let's see where dear Toriel is. I'm sure she'll be so happy to see you after all these years.] 

 

The being calling itself Chara mocks as they move my body towards the door of the room. The monsters of the ruins fell before them using a knife as they are seemingly unable to use my magyk. It doesn't take long to reach Toriel, her back turned to us as she tends to the yellow flowers at the edge of the ruins. 

 

"Hey Tori, owls it hangin?" They ask in my voice, a slight rasp making it sound almost like a growl. 

 

"Oh Sans didn't see you there. How is Papyrus these days? Is Asgore alright? I-" Toriel cuts off, lookin down at the knife embedded in her chest and back up to ‘my' face. 

 

"S-sans?" She asks as she slowly turns to dust, a look of betrayal and shock crossing her tear-streaked face as she stares at me. My own tears are cascading down my skull from within my own mind, the blue tears looking purple as they pass over the red markings on the edge of my eye sockets. 

 

Watching as they make short work of Snowdin I am glad yet worried when we don't run into Papyrus at all. 

 

[He's probably looking for you. You made your poor brother worry, trash. Its too bad he'll die soon.] Chara mocks, laughing at my anguish. 

 

"Y-you leave Papyrus alone!" I shout, struggling against my bonds. 

 

[Who is going to stop me, you? That's so funny.] their voice mocks as monster dust clogs the air. 

 

I keep struggling as the child makes their way to Waterfall, running from Undyne until she collapses from the heat in the Hotlands. 

 

"Please don't-" I start, flinching at the wet squelch the knife makes as it impacts Undynes skull. They go back through Waterfall and kill everyone there, meticulously searching every corner in their genocidal rampage. When they make it back to the Hotlands, Alphys is there kneeling over Undynes dust tears flowing down the scales of her face. 

 

"Nononononononono" I cry out from within my own mind but the knife strikes Alphys too, her dust mingling with Undyne's. Hotlands takes longer but eventually everyone there is gone too. Papyrus is still missing. Making it past the puzzles was the only reprise Sans had before they finally made it to the Judgement Hall. Since Sans was the one being possessed, the Judgment Hall was anticlimactic. Making it to Asgores chamber, I notice Papyrus talking with Asgore. 

 

"Papyrus I understand your concern but there is nothing I can do." Papyrus turns and sees us, smiling broadly as ‘I' approach. Asgore turns seeing me and chuckles softly as they force me to approach stopping right in front of them knife hidden in my jacket sleeve. Neither seem to notice the dust caking my clothes as they make no comment on them. 

 

"It's nice to see you again Sans. Papyrus was worried sick when you didn't return home a few days ago." Asgore starts in his almost too soft voice for his size. 

 

"So what is it you needed Sans?" Asgore asks kneeling to my level his kind eyes regarding my as a father seeing his son after a long separation. Eyes that widen in shock as they take my arm and shove the hidden blade deep in his skull, tears dripping down his golden fur as he too slowly turns to dust. Papyrus' horrified gasp has them turning my head away from Asgores dusting body to Papyrus' horrified look on his skull orange tears dripping to the floor. 

 

[Oh lookie lookie Papyrus is the only one left] they tease, approaching his still frozen form slowly. 

 

I sob loudly, frantically trying to get out of the chains screaming for Papyrus to move as they approach him. My chi-Papyrus is frozen whether in fear shock or both I can' t tell. I am forced to watch as seemingly in slow motion the blade slices through Papyrus' neck like it's made of paper mache. 

 

Papyrus turning to dust is the last thing I see before everything goes black my anguished cry going unheard by anyone except the being controlling my body. They reset, this time waking up in his room. It slowly becomes a sick kind of routine. Wake up in his room, be forced to kill everyone in the underground and reset. Except when Papyrus starts remembering the resets. He keeps asking why I would kill everyone why I'm doing this aren't I happy. Every time, Papyrus is always the last one to die whether due to Undyne and/or Asgores Intervention or Papyrus meeting us at the barrier. 

 

"IT'S OK SANS. I MAY NOT KNOW WHY YOU ARE DOING THIS, BUT IF IT MAKES YOU HAPPY, I AM OKAY WITH DYING BY YOUR HAND. I LOVE YOU SANS." Slowly with every reset, I regains some semblance of my strength. Every time the demon possessing their body dies, Sans begins to feel his body little by little. Unfortunately with every reset the LOVE increases ever faster. 

 

'Come on, die a few more times so I can rid you of existence' I think whilst they are distracted with Muffet and her spiderlings. One reset Papyrus says something that causes them to pause. 

 

"I AM SORRY SANS I FAILED YOU. WHILE I WAS LOOKING THROUGH OUR OLD STUFF I FOUND SOMETHING. I KNOW NOW WHY YOU WOULDN'T ANSWER ME WHEN I ASKED ABOUT OUR MOM. BECAUSE YOU ARE MY MOM." Papyrus stutters our as the blade pierces his skull having sat down pulling me into his arms disregarding how everyone else has died. 

 

Managing to pull them into my mind as they pull their empty hand back I fling them into the void. Sadly, it is too late. Papyrus is beginning to dust. I run to Papyrus, stumbling as I regained feeling in my body. I scoop up what of him isn't dust yet into my arms sobbing as he continues to dust. 

 

"I KNEW THAT IT TRULY WASN'T YOU. IT'S GOING TO BE OKAY. I FORGAVE YOU A LONG TIME AGO. ALWAYS REMEMBER I LOVE YOU AND I WANT YOU TO BE HAPPY." Papyrus says as his body finishes turning into dust. All that is left is his red scarf. Intense pain could in my soul as I scream to the ceiling sobbing over Papyrus' dust. 

 

"No! Papyrus!" I bawl out as I summon my soul and study it. The blue upside down heart now has a smaller right side up red heart inside it. Where the red meets blue there is a purple line. "I'll be with you soon Pap" I whisper brokenly as I crush my soul in my hand, pain lancing through me before it all goes black.

 

..........

 

Reset

 

..........

 

I wake up to a quiet house in my own room on my ragged mattress. Getting up I leave my room to find Papyrus. Maybe I reset to a day he spent the night at Undynes. It doesn't click until I am almost out of Snowdin that I haven't seen anyone at all. Frantically running towards Undynes house I trip over something in the snow just outside of Snowdin proper. It' s Papyrus' red scarf partially buried in snow. 

 

"Stars Pap no" I sob a I clutch his scarf to my chest, blue tears staining the snow in front of me. Taking a shuddering breath I summon my soul once again crushing it in my hand as I sob into Papyrus' scarf. 

..........

 

Reset..

 

..........

I wake up again to the same empty house, searching the underground again I find that no one else is here and the only indication of them I can find is Paps' scarf. Sighing I wrap it around my neck as I make my way through Waterfall back to Snowdin. Going to the center of town I stare at the decorated tree feeling numb to the snow falling down on me. 

 

Eventually, I start to feel cold but I ignore it in favor of skulking around at the tree thinking of happier memories. Like when Paps first used his magyk he was so happy. I barely register when I stop feeling cold and start to loose feeling in my bones. The snow is piled to my waist now preventing me from falling as I loose feeling in my legs. My eye sockets close as I fall asleep in the snow, the last thing I feel as I loose consciousness is my soul shattering. 

........

 

Reset

 

........

 

I jump out of bed, hoping this time worked. Nothing. Everyone is still gone, especially Papyrus. "N-no. Paps, you can't still be……c'mon I need you!" I sob as I hold his scarf. Slowly trudging through Snowdin I make my way to Waterfall. Going to where the water is deepest I look around once more before throwing myself in. 

 

As my clothes absorb the water they drag me down even faster. Soon I'm at the bottom looking up at the surface of the water from where I lay. My eye lights flicker out leaving me almost blind as the water swirls around my soul, chocking it out as it floods the now-dual colored heart. Pain lances through me as everything darkens even more, death claiming me as swiftly as the last thyme. Heh thyme. 

 

.......

 

Reset

 

........

 

This time I make my way to Hotlands, trudging through the Underground slowly my soul weighed down with my heavy sins. I stop where the lava pools emit strong heat waves near Alphys' ‘lab'. Walking over to the edge I peer into the bubbling lake of lava. 

 

"I deserve this." I mutter as I throw myself into the lava, the pain from burning alive slight compared to the pain in my soul my guilt weighing me down. "I'm sorry Paps, my precious child." I whisper as the lava consumes me the last thing I see is the cavern roof of my prison.

 

.........

 

Reset

 

.........

 

"Stars damnitt not again. Why won't anything work?" I cry out in frustration as I notice I'm in my bed in my empty house once again. Layout my there for what feels like hours I can feel something tugging at me consciousness like I'm slowly losing my mind. Doing a quick check I gasp at what I find. 

 

Sans

LV 16

Atk 14

Def 15

HP 1

 

Wait……sixteen whole LOVE?!?!?! How……them. Somehow all of their using me like a marionette messed with my luv leaving me with a love of sixteen. No wonder I feel odd. Checking once more I find my karmatic retribution still there. I wonder…….pulling up my sleeves ignoring the countless older chips and scars I begin to claw at the bone. The second I use karmatic retribution everything goes black.

 

.........

 

Reset

 

.........

 

I wake up in my bed, gasping as lingering pain from the last reset burns my arms slightly. Resisting the urge to chip at my arms again I summon my spell-book/grimoir. Perhaps I'm trying the resets a wrong way hopefully I can find a solution all the magykal texts have been absorbed into this so there should be something. 

 

Eventually I decide that it's time to train. Heh Paps would be proud. Essentially somehow in my forced resets the book became a spell-book with a never ending list of spells of every type and recipes for every potion known and unknown. If my magyk didn't work like some kind of RPG mage before it sure does now. I find that when I use the magic, a magic circle appears for most spells before the spell itself comes out of it. 

 

The symbol changes color depending on what type of magic I use. Green is healing/plant magyk. Blue is my regular gravity magic and telekinesis. The other colors I hadn't figured out yet. I guess I will have to wait until I have to use them to find out then.

My teleport has another form now. Instead of simply porting to another location I can make a giant magic symbol appears and I walk through it to come out at my destination. Also, I apparently have two human forms and two sort-of fox looking forms from what I read in my grimoir, one child and the other a teen version of the child. 

 

The human forms look the same look except the teen looking one taller than regular me, and had piercings in his ears. The hair for both is white and in a messy short but slightly spiky style my markings staying the same. There seem to be more scars visible in my human forms I assume due to more meat on my bones. Heh. I go home and sit on my bed, starting off into space contemplating all I've learned today. Maybe I'll go down to ‘there' and see if there's any more paperwork on me maybe I'll find my moms name.

 

Making my way to the back of Alphys' greenhouse being the witch doctor she was I take the lift down into a darkened dilapidated corridor. The corridor opens to a studio looking living area and kitchen with two bedrooms on either side. Beside the kitchen is a wide hallway double doors at the end leading to what I know are the labs.

 

Heading halfway down the hallway I open a door to an office going straight to the cracked wooden desk opening the file cabinets behind it. My grimoir opens absorbing all the papers in the file cabinet, some papers flying in from the open doorway as it absorbs all the paperwork in the lower labs. Getting out of there as fast as I can I sit down on one of Alphys' moss couches. Opening the book while thinking about finding more about myself it stops at a seemingly random page. I gasp in shock as I read the page. 

 

Subject: Sans

Given Name: Runix

Mother: Sayomi (possibly alive unknown since barrier was erected)

Father: Dante (deceased)

Species: half skeleton monster half Kitsune

Lifespan: potentially 1,000+ years. Expected to grow a tail every thousand years. Lost ears and first tail due to a lab accident.

 

Shutting it in shock I stare into space as I dismiss it. Sighing as I get up I make my way down to my workshop under the house, stepping out of the portal into the room. In the center is a large circle four curved pillars lined with runes at perceived ‘corners' in front of the circle is a floating holographic control panel. 

 

Situated against the walls around the room are my various shelves and drawers filled with various ingredients and potions. Going to the control panel I boot it up, somehow new stuff added to it. Apparently I can now look at other aus. Figuring why not and hopefully it'll help me find out what to do to restore my own au I spend what feels like countless hours researching the vast multi-verses and their various aus.

 

I don't notice the time pass until I begin to feel hungry. Not wanting to use the kitchen Paps used daily when he was alive I made a portal to Toriels old house in the ruins, using my grimoire for the recipe to her butterscotch cinnamon pie. I end up making two scarfing down the first one which while isn't as good as if she had made it was still delicious. Wrapping the second pie up I decide to walk home instead. As I'm passing my old sentry station I hear a quiet groan from behind it. 

 

Setting the pie on the worn wood I step around and peer under it. Laying unconscious under the wooden station is another Sans, Underfell from the sharpened teeth and gold fang. Lifting him and the pie with my magic I quickly port us to Alphys' greenhouse lab, setting him on the moss bed. Removing his clothes to asses the damage I spot several broken or missing ribs and cracks everywhere. 

 

Eye lights flashing green I summon my healing magyk, the circles appearing between my outstretched phalanges and the other Sans. I keep the healing magyk up until most of the damage is healed. Covering him back up with the soft blanket Alphys had sewn for monsters she healed that needed watching I sit in the chair across the ‘room' and doze off.

 

He wakes two weeks later with a shout eye lights flickering in confusion and barely hidden fear before he spots me as I'm entering through the weeping willow branches that serve ‘door'. 

 

"I'm glad you are awake. You gave me quite a scare when I found you by my old station all beaten up. How are you feeling by the way, any pain?" I ask as I set the bowl of soup on the bedside table, noting his gaze. 

 

"So…..you're the ‘Sans' of this place?" He asks giving me a once over as I glance his way. 

 

"Yeah. But you can call me Runix." I inform him as I summon my healing magyk and approach him. 

 

"Tha' names Red." Red replies, staring at my unusual looking healing magyk cautiously but otherwise not moving. Once I finish healing the rest of his wounds I grab the soup holding the bowl out for him to take, spoon in my other hand. 

 

"Here eat this it'll help you feel better faster." I tell Red as he cautiously takes a sip, blanching at the flavor before drinking the rest down. 

 

"Ya got any mustard?" Red asks as he hands the bowl back to me. I nod, porting to the kitchen to get some and place the dishes in the sink leaving as the runes lining the kitchen wash and put them away. Returning I hand him the mustard sitting down as he chugs it like water.

 

The next few days I help Red regain the ability to walk, laying like that for weeks on end will do that despite my best healing attempts. We are walking back to my house when he stops me right outside Waterfall within the entrance to Hotlands. 

 

"I've been meaning to ask but where is everybody? Are they on the surface already what happened here?" Red asks, eye lights glowing with curiosity. 

 

"Let's get to the house first it's quite a long story" I sigh my eye lights dimming as we pass by my other old station in Hotlands. Grabbing Red I port straight to Alphys' old living room not wanting to face my old house since I avoid it like the plague. "Sit down this'll be a while." I stare motioning beside me on the moss couch, summoning my Grimoir the six souls pulsing once before opening to a page. 

 

"What's with the book Rune?" Red asks, poking the page lightly. 

 

"I can't summon bones or ‘blasters' my magyk goes like this almost like some kinda Mage in an rpg. I use spells and such." I explain as I wave my hand over the page, words coming to life as images flicker in the air above the book. As I start speaking, the memories I describe play like a sort-of movie floating over my grimoir. 

 

"Long ago there was the Mythomagi, ancient magykal races of various types and forms. One day they got lonely and made Monsters. The two lived in harmony for hundreds of years. Neither were sure when humans came to be or who made them they just seemed to come out of the ground. Peace lasted for many many years between the three. But then a group of humans calling themselves ‘holy knights' declared war, pledging to rid the world of Monsters and Mythomagi alike. From what the file I found on me says I'm half Monster half Mythomagi. Monsters and Mythomagi worked together with sympathetic humans to try and stop them from mass genocide. It worked until the Holy Knights managed to erect a barrier that locked all monsters away. From what I could gather from Toriel and Asgore the Mythomagi and remaining nice humans erected a barrier of their own to keep safe whilst they worked on breaking the monster barrier. I don't know if they are even still up there." I explain, pausing as I take a sip out of my drink I had pulled out of my Grimoir during my brief history of my au to Red.

 

"What happened in here then?" Red asked again, a slightly worried Look crossing his face. 

 

"Genocide happened Red. While our first human, Frisk, merely went missing after fusing with Asriel and leaving the barrier. The last one wasn't even human I'm sure. I lost count the amount of times I found my ch-Papyrus' scarf partially buried in snow and dust." I cut off, not wanting to cry the loss of my only child burning from the inside. 

 

"He wasn't yer bro?" Red asks as he catches my slight slip up sounding shocked eye sockets widening as I nod to answer him. 

 

"My Papyrus unlike most the other ones……..was my son." I whisper the last part voice cracking as grief begins to overwhelm me, memories of Pap flooding my head. "The thing won't reset any more. It can't. When I was fighting it I managed to absorb its soul triggering a reset of my own. 

 

Unfortunately it used the opportunity to seize control of my body and use me to kill everyone over and over again. While I managed to kill its consciousness from the soul no reset I've triggered so far has brought anyone back." I manage to choke out as I loose my voice, putting my head in my arms and sobbing barely noticing as arms wrap around me comforting me in my grief the scent of juniper leaves surrounding me.

 

When I wake up later I blush deeply realizing I had fallen asleep against him. Red is snoozing in the chair, surprisingly quiet snores filling the silence. Getting up I cover him in the blanket he must've covered me in as I head to Alphy's kitchen heating up a butterscotch cinnamon pie. Red stumbles in sleepily rubbing his eye sockets the blanket draped over his shoulders. I quickly turn to hide my blush as he sits down the adorable sight almost too much despite Red being taller and bulkier than me. 

 

"W-want some pie?" I ask as I plate my own piece. 

 

"Sure." Red slurs out still half asleep. Passing him his own plate with a mustard jar I get my ketchup. We eat in silence no sound other than the scraping of cutlery. As I magyk the plates clean Red watches seemingly amused by how different our magyk is despite being supposed alternates of each other. 

 

"I should be able to get you home today." I inform Red opening a portal straight to my ‘lab'. I chuckle lightly as Red grapes walking around the room inspecting everything until he focus' on the platform in the center. 

 

"This is where a portal will appear but first I need to find your au." Placing my phalanges on the control panel I use the tracking function to locate the au in which Reds signature match only partially aware of his gaze.

 

We walk up to the living room of my house sitting on the couch in the living room while we wait. 

 

"So the surface what's it really like?" I ask Red turning to the edgier skeleton. 

 

"The city is noisy and a bit crowded but there's always something you can do and the country areas are beautiful the stars are even more beautiful in person. Me and Sans go all the thyme to stargaze." Red answers gazing off into the distance. 

 

"Wait your au is connected to an Undertale one?" I ask curiously because in my own research it seemed to be a increasingly more commonly occurring phenomenon. 

 

"Yeah and a Underswap one too. I don't know all the semantics but I'm glad I met Sans. We bonded a few months ago." Red gushes, blushing as he no doubt thinks about his mate. 

 

"Well I'm gonna check the portal real quick I'll be right back we don't wanna end up in the wrong au." I answer cheerily. Once I shut the door to my ‘lab' I slide to the floor against it clutching at my coat. Why does it hurt? I feel breathless without having lungs. Oh stars, was I…..falling for him? Quickly fixing the parameters for the search I take a minute to collect myself before returning to the living room. I find myself staring up at a concerned looking Red waiting at the door.

 

"Hey Red wazzup?" I ask cheerily as I walk into the living room Red right behind me. 

 

"Cut the act Rune what's wrong?" Red asks, worry cutting through the air in the room like a hot knife. 

 

"What ya talkom bout Red nothing's wrong" I answer cheerily as I turn around quickly ignoring the feeling that something is indeed wrong, that I am falling for a skeleton who already has a mate. And hard. Red follows as I head into the kitchen using a quick spell to clean up the dirt from how long I avoided my own kitchen. Everything is exactly how Papyrus left it. I get to cooking, magyk lighting up the room as I re-read the recipe for potato stew. Red watches from the doorway as I cook, watching as my magyk creates a symphony of moving cutlery and food. The room is quickly filled with the aroma of hot stew. Flicking my wrist I use my magyk to pour two bowls setting them on the table with a spoon in each. Motioning for Red to join me I sit and start eating my own bowl. 

 

It doesn't take long before we finish, a quick spell cleaning up any mess with the dishes. Sitting in the living room I ignore his questioning glances as I let the food ‘digest' into magyk and be absorbed. I doze off on the couch moments later as my first full meal in a while lulls me to sleep, barely hearing something about too cute and a brief flash of light before sleep pulls me in. When I wake up I'm leaned over on Red his arm wrapped around my shoulders. 

 

Moving as quickly as possible without waking him up I make a quick breakfast of oatmeal floating the plates to the table just as Red enters the kitchen rubbing his eye sockets sleepily. My back is turned to him as I make final preparations not noticing his approach until two arms wrap around my waist and I feel his breath on the back of my neck as he sleepily nuzzles into me. I blush deeply, freezing as Red leans further into me. 

 

"*yawn* Aww Sansey ya know I loaf it when ya cook fer me." Red mumbles into my neck. Oh dear stars he must think I'm his mate. 

 

"Was wrong babe?" Red slurs out and by this thyme my whole skull is aglow in a vibrant dark blue blush. I'm practically steaming as his phalanges roam lower than my middle thankfully not going towards my clothed pelvis but instead dangling around my knees. Red seems confused as he fiddled with the cloth around the knees of my pants. He suddenly stiffens, reflexively pushing me forward as he backs up rapidly. I fail to stop myself from slamming my skull into the corner of the table as pain erupts right above my left eye socket before it all goes black.

 

My return to consciousness is slow, the first thing I can feel is a pounding headache and someone pacing in front of where I'm laying. Probably Red pacing in front of the couch. As my hearing returns I can just make out Red berating himself. 

 

"Just fucking great. First I sleepily mistake him for Sans damn near violating him and then I just had to knock him unconscious. At least his defense is kinda high. But there was so much blood. C'mon bud wake up already." Red rambles sounding on the verge of a spaz attack. Managing to open my eye sockets I immediately slam them shut as the dim light of the living room makes my headache throb painfully. I groan lightly as I cautiously adjust to the light in the room catching Reds attention. 

 

"Oh thank the stars yer awake I thought I friggin put ya in a stars damned coma. You've been asleep fer two days." Red ranted on, oblivious to my attempts to sit up until I finally managed to. Stars two days? Did he eat anything? Is the portal still looking or did it find his home yet. 

 

"Oh no ya don't lay yer ass back down." Red scolds as he makes me lie back down on the couch. "And ta answer yer questions yes I did eat I ain't incompetent. The magyk thing did make a noise but that was only half an hour ago so chill." Red admonishes. Huh. I said those out loud, damn. 

 

"But you need to get home. I'll be fine." I insist still trying to get up despite Red using his magyk to keep me on the couch. 

 

"But yer head it's cracked some'tin fierce." Red questions stopping as I motion for my somehow still summoned grimoir. It floats over his outstretched phalanges opening to seemingly a random page. 

 

"Huh wa's this?" Red asks and touches the page. With a flash of magyk that shocks both of us a glass bottle appears in his hand the book dissipating in my shock. I'll think on that later. Only family and mates should be able to do that but Red is neither. Well we are both Sans' but I doubt that would matter. Red hands the bottle to me, sitting down on the recliner in the corner skulking as he watches me carefully. 

 

Sitting up I uncork the glass bottle swirling its contents to activate the magykal properties of the liquid inside. It shimmers in hues of blue and green as it swirls around its glass container before loosing some of its volume as the liquid compacts. I pour it out using my blue magyk to hold it mid air in front of me imbuing it with some of my own healing magyk. It takes more focus than usual with the headache pounding in my head but I manage. 

 

Pouring the now thick liquid on my skull I sigh as the healing magyk in the viscous liquid soothes the ache in my skull ignoring Reds stare nor how he stiffens as he watches. Huh I guess it looks weird to him. After it dissipates I get up heading towards my ‘lab' Red not far behind me. When we arrive the runes lining the structure of the portal glow from the runes lining it. 

 

Walking up to the Dias the controls are on I pulse my magyk into it. Immediately the magyk roars to life, concentrating at a point in the center of the pillars. A purple line extends from the floor to where the top of the pillars are before widening I to a ocular portal swirling with every color before a large pentagram takes up the whole portal. The light pulses once more before steadying signifying it's ready. 

 

"Well Red ready to go?" I ask not turning to look as he approaches the portal crossing in front of me to step up to it. 

 

"Hey Rune I just want to give you something before I leave." Red states, motioning me towards him. 

 

"Sure" I answer, shrugging mentally I walk up to him standing beside him in front of the portal. Reaching into his pocket, Red pulls out a purple spiked collar like his own holding it out for me to take. 

 

"You….you made this?" I ask stunned when he nods and clasps it around my neck. The soft leather feels nice and cool around my neck as I fiddle with the silver pentagram dangling from an equally silver hoop in the middle of the front of the collar in place of a tag. 

 

"T-thanks" I murmur to Red sadly to admit it but somehow I feel…..better? 

 

"Welp thyme to go I soupose. Nice meetin ya Rune." Red says before turning towards the portal. I almost miss his smirk as he steps forward and before I can react he grabs me by my partially outstretched arm pulling me in with him as he jumps into the portal.


	3. There and Gone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Undertale belongs to Toby Fox  
> Underswap and Underfell belong to the AU Community  
> Runix and Occulttale belong to me aka Raven-Black09(Deviantart), Magyka13 (Tumblr), SayomiKimitsuki (Wattpad) and Magyka13 on Fanfiction.net
> 
> also, the base default state for Runix and Occulttale is Runix being alone in his empty AU trying to cope (badly) with the loss of everyone he ever held dear by, in his opinion, his own hands.

We step out of the other side of the portal right outside the large door to the ruins. The doors are wide open retailing the walkway to the house in the ruins. Taking a glance behind us Red walks forward eye lights darting around checking the surrounding forest as we continue. I follow slowly unsure of why Red dragged me with him. 

 

Doesn't he see I'm better off in that empty au of mine? I immediately notice the differences of no rune lined walkway through towards Snowdin and a slightly warmer feel to the air of the surrounding forest. A wave of vertigo hits me as we pass what I assume is either his or Classic!Sans' old station, my vision blurring badly. 

 

Managing to stumble over to it I lean on the stations old wood panting lightly as I wait for the nausea to pass. Red doesn't seem to notice my pausing and I watch through my blurred vision as he passes out of sight. 

 

Focusing on that I don't need to really breathe per say I clench the purple collar with a shaking hand as magykal sweat begins dripping down my skull. A loud ringing fills my skull as my vision begins to tunnel, still blurry and unsteady. Trying to move forward I manage two shaky steps before everything tilts sideways. 

 

The cold snow startles me, gasping as it's sharp cold wetness hits me like a slap to the face. The last thing I see before darkness claims my vision is the surrounding forest snow falling in a white cold blanket over the already snow-covered ground. I find myself blind and unable to move sometime later. My head still pounds and somehow, I've went from freezing cold to uncomfortably hot. 

 

Wait….do I……...I hear…. voices? I can't catch what they're saying. Trying to focus hurts so I lay there in agony until I drift off.

 

The pain wakes me back up in what feels like minutes feeling even warmer than before, if possible. Managing a groan, I try to move only for sheer agony to stop my attempt cold. The noises are back and this time I realize they are muffled voices shouting at something. 

 

"Where…...he…." One gruff sounding voice rumbles out most of their words becoming lost to the static. 

 

"Was…...here……buried……snow" A familiar sounding voice answers. Wait buried? Snow? Trying to think back the last thing I remember is losing consciousness in the snow. Are they talking about me? Someone's looking for me? The shouting gets louder as the voices get closer a muffled curse ringing out through the forest as something touches what I assume is my hand. 

 

Seconds later the darkness I have been in for who knows how long brightens considerably as I'm dug out of what I now know is snow. The light of the forest is blinding as they lift me out of the snow, curling up in pain. I must've let a noise out for not a second later a warm cloth is placed around me and another covers my eye sockets. I doze off as whoever is carrying me dashes off at what feels like a fast pace hurrying for something I can't recall what. 

 

W……ke…….u……p

 

Huh?

 

R……ne

 

Who?

 

RUNIX! W….ke……up!

 

"Nnnn?" I feel fuzzy as someone continues calling my name, sounding worried. Did I do something bad? Stilling I listen for a minute in the silence. 

 

"Runix wake up." The familiar voice from earlier calls. Trying hard to stay awake I manage to open my eyes to a dimly lit room with light grey walls on a large bed with black covers. 

 

"Finally. We thought you'd never wake up." The voice calls from my right. Managing to glance over I see it's Red looking almost the same as I last saw him just more sleep deprived. 

 

"Yer had me real worried when I finally managed to get to the surface ya wasn't behind me. Sadly, I passed out myself and it took a while to get the gang to help look fer ya. They thought yer were some kinda fever dreamed being I made up somehow." Red explained at my inquisitive look. It's then that I notice I'm completely bare under the covers except for the purple collar Red gave me before dragging me here. 

 

Forcing a blush down I manage to sit up whilst keeping the covers on me before studying Red's haggard look once more. 

 

"You…...you need……...to sleep" I manage to gasp out, somehow speaking hurt like I had been screaming for hours. 

 

"Good luck I've been trying to get him to sleep for two weeks now." A new voice cuts in. Turning my head enough to see the door I gasp as Red's mate Sans walks into the room. Sitting in the chair on the side of the bed closest to the door next to Red he regards me with a look akin to someone studying an exotic animal. 

 

"So, tell me, Runix." Sans starts one eye light going out as his left flashes blue and yellow the atmosphere of the room getting thicker despite Reds quiet protests that Sans ignores dutifully. 

 

"How exactly did you get that 16 LV?" Sans asks, "Red won't say more than that ya didn't ask for it so explain." Sans' eye lights bore into my own and I feel the presence of his karmic retribution just beneath the surface. 

 

"If you know my LV then why you haven't dusted me yet?" I mutter darkly, looking at my lap as I fiddle with the purple spiked collar around my neck. 

 

Sans' grim grin faltered for a second before he replied "It's because of that collar Red gave you. But also, because my bro, Blue and surprisingly Reds bro along with Red asked me not to. So, stop dodging the question and spill." Came Sans' exasperated response. Sighing in resignation, I glance up before looking back down. Opening my mouth to speak all that comes out is a harsh sounding wheeze. 

 

"You know how to sign right?" Sans asks, grim look softening marginally. I nod glancing down at my slightly shaking hands. Taking a shaking breath, I lift my arms enough for them to see my hands clearly. 

 

(I never wanted this LV. None of it.) I sign taking a moment to collect myself. 

 

(But ‘they' didn't give me much choice. That thing calling itself Chara always killed everyone, every run. Not in the same order or manor every time but they left no monster alive. I thought if I absorbed their soul before they could reset I would be able to trigger one myself and goodbye genocidal demon and the resets that came with them.) 

I pause, my hands shaking too much to be able to decipher what I'm signing. I wait until they stop shaking so much before continuing. (I was wrong.) I sign eye lights and markings dimming as I recall the cat-tastrophe that ended up being.

 

(I managed to reset, and everything seemed fine at first. Until they took control. They used me like a puppet, killing everyone and resetting. All using the shock of me ‘betraying' my friends to deal them swift ends. Eventually I managed to fight back from within my mind and destroy the consciousness attached to the determined soul. While the demon is no more the red ‘soul' remains a part of me even now.)

 

Laying my hands in my lap I look up to see a shocked guilty look directed at me from Sans, Red shooting apologetic glances both our ways. Eye lights returning to their usual white Sans opens his jaw starting to apologize but I stop him with a shake of my head. 

 

(It's fine.) I sign resolutely. We sit in silence for what feels like several minutes before the silence is broken by my non-existent stomach growling loudly. Flushing in embarrassment I manage a dry chuckle as they duck out of the room mentioning soup. 

 

I smell the warm aroma of soup before Sans returns alone carrying a gray plastic tray with a steaming blue bowl, glass of what appears to be water, a bottle of what looks like medicine and two spoons. 

 

"You sounded like you could use this medicine specifically made for skeletal monsters and their sore non-existent throats. Don't worry it doesn't taste too bad, if ya like ketchup as much as I do that is." Sans explains at my confused look at the small bottle. Setting the tray down on my lap Sans pours out a dose and hands me the tiny cup. 

 

Swallowing it like a shot of strong liquor I find a hint of ketchup flavor that Sans mentioned. I guzzle the offered water taking a few breaths now that my throat doesn't hurt as much. Snapping out of my thoughts by a spoon in my face I blush before allowing Sans to feed me the soup. It's chicken broth and it tastes amazing. Before long the soup is gone and Sans leaves taking the empty silverware back to the kitchen I assume. I fall asleep sitting up before Sans' footfalls go out of hearing range. 

 

When I wake up again I feel much better, almost brand new even. Still half asleep I rub my eye sockets to realize I have clothes on now looking almost exactly like my old ones were supposed to before…...things. Blushing a deep blue, I ponder who did this before deciding to at least check my new clothes out. They must've noticed how ragged I let the old ones get. 

 

Looking down I see that I'm wearing a blue shirt with a skull on it under a black coat with white runes etched into the sleeves along with one white stripe up each arm and black pants with lots of zippers, pockets and blue accents. I recall the pants being called…. tripp pants. There is a pair of shoes that I recall being called converses that are black and blue also one of them flipped over showing a white crescent moon near the heel of the shoe. Who? 

 

"Red did. He made them himself and refused to let anyone in the room while he put them on you. Stars knows why." Sans' voice echoes through the doorway as said skeleton slides in. 

 

"Why go through all that trouble…. for me?" I ask, looking down at my lap wracking my brain for answers. 

 

"Sorry about earlier bud, I guess I was being a bit of a numbskull." Sans says before I can protest. "As the other thing, well, have you taken a good look at yourself? Other than the clothes I mean." Sans mumbles motioning to my head and behind me. As he says this I feel something brushing against my foot from under the covers. 

 

Defiantly not yelping, I jerk up to see a furry appendage slipping out of the covers with me. Bringing it to me I notice it's a tail and not just one either. Two fluffy white tails, fur soft and fluffy under my touch and by how I can feel that they are mine. 

 

"Yer got some ears too" Reds voice chimes in, causing me to flinch at the sudden break in my concentration exploring my ‘new' appendages. 

 

"Gah!" I fall off the edge of the bed between the bed and the window with a thud.

 

Groaning at the sound of muffled laughter, I take the offered hand helping me off my ass as Red chuckles from the doorway. 

 

"Sour-y aboot that Runie, ya looked so cut there jus noticin yer tails an all." He snorts, winking at Sans who is managing to hold in his own laughter as he helps me to stand. 

 

"You ass" I mumble at him, shooting him the bird as Sans chuckles at our antics. 

 

"Hey Rune, ya want to come downstairs? The others want to meat you now that you've woken up." Sans suggests, smile less forced now that he's done ‘ant-errogating' me. 

 

"Um…. ok, why not." I shrug, what's the worst that can happen. 

 

A lot apparently. The second I step onto the landing to the downstairs living room Sans' brother, going by Papyrus aptly since they are the originals after all, scoops me up into a hug. I feel my ears flatten to my skull as my tails fluff even larger in my shock at being scooped up like I weighed nothing. 

 

"BROTHER THIS IS THE ONE? HE'S SO SMALL! AND HE'S SO CUTE! SANS CAN WE KEEP HIM?" Papyrus cheers out, swinging me around bringing me into a hug. 

 

"He's not a pet bro, he'll be staying with me and Red unless he wants to stay with you and Fell that is." Sans chuckles at his brothers' actions. Papyrus reminds me of my own Pap when he was much younger, his enthusiasm making the whole atmosphere of the room brighten with his antics. 

 

Tears gather at the corner of my eye sockets at the thought of my child, happy memories bringing bittersweet feelings as I try not to get too lost in my thoughts. I'm snatched literally and figuratively from them as another pair of arms removes me from Papyrus' hold, turning me to face a much edgier version of him. 

 

"YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE SAD YOU KNOW. WHATEVER IS BOTHERING YOU WE WILL LISTEN." Fell informs me, giving me a once over. 

 

"HE DOES FEEL RATHER LIGHT, PAPYRUS. HAVE YOU BEEN EATING RIGHT? RUNIX WAS IT?" Fell asks, tilting his head in a rather too familiar manor, just like ‘he' would when trying to figure out a rather difficult puzzle. A sad smile adorns my skull as I nod that I have ignoring the fact that I am lying to a Papyrus of all things. Obviously, I fail if his worried glare is anything to go by. 

 

Sighing, he places me on the couch before heading to the kitchen, Papyrus following behind him and seconds later the kitchen is filled with the sound of cooking. 

 

"Welp, looks like ya got them started. You do look a bit small though, are you sure you've been eating right?" a voice to my left startles me out of my thoughts about how similar yet different these two Papyrus' were from my own. 

 

"The names Stretch, but my bro calls me Pappy." An orange hoodie clad Papyrus addresses me, lazily waving at me from the other side of the couch. I freeze as his voice is the most like my own Papyrus. Pap….... I……I can't………

 

Curling up into a ball I shiver heavily as sobs wrack my frame, memories of home and before the resets took everything from me raging in my skull like angry hornets in my skull. I hear muffled exclamations mixed in with softer worried tones I barely recognize as Sans and Red, but I can't bring myself to react other than to curl further into myself. 

 

I can feel my tails reacting to my state curling around and hiding my face from view my ears pressed flat to my skull. No doubt I am soaking their couch, but I cannot bring myself to care. 

 

A sudden shout of "PAPPY WHAT DID YOU DO?" 

 

"I didn't do anything bro, I just said hi." They startle me enough out of it that I glance from a space between my tails. A blue clad Sans wearing a bandana is kneeling in front of me, a soothing aura emitting from him as he offers me a cinnamon bunny. Heh, bean a long thyme since I had one of those. Reaching out between my tails I grab it and quickly stuff the offered chocolate in my mouth.

 

Instantly the soothing flavor calms my fractured nerves enough for me to be able to stop sobbing. Sniffling I wipe my tears and sit up to the sight of everyone back in the living room, worried looks on their skulls. 

 

"heh, sour-y about that…I….didn't mean two worry you guys." I mumble, fiddling with the end of one of my tails nervously as Fell and Pap take Stretch into the kitchen with them. The living room only contains myself, Blue, Sans and Red now. 

 

"So……Ya wanna talkom about what that was about doll face?" Red questions, sitting to my left whilst Sans sits to my right, Blue sitting in the arm chair diagonally from the couch. 

 

"Nothing to worry bout guys really" I try, receiving looks of doubt. Damn. Looks like I can't lie my way through anything with the other me's. 

 

Makes sanse after all, we are all essentially the same monster. "IT'S NOT NICE TO LIE. YOU HAVE TO BE HONEST ABOUT HOW YOU FEEL ABOUT THINGS OR YOU'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO MOVE ON." Blue lightly scolds, a worried look on his face as he finally takes in the redness at the edge of my eye sockets. 

 

"Yea Runie ya gotta talk to us. I know yer hurtin right now but ya got us, our bro's too." Red's voice rumbles from my left as I find myself feeling overwhelmed with all this caring for me. 

 

"Hey, c'mon bud breathe it's gonna bee okay." Sans' voice rings out next to me as the three of them emit soothing auras, the triple layer of support slowly calming my nerves as I can relax myself enough to give a small smile to the three others in the room.

 

"OH, MY STARS YOU ARE TOO ADOORABLE." Blue coos at me as I finally give them a smile, the truest one I've given anyone in a long time. 

 

"I'D LOVE TO STAY FOR DINNER, BUT I HAVE TO DO………SOMETHING YEAH SOMETHING IMPORTANT." Blue declares as he stands up before leaving the house. 

 

"Heh, he ain't wrong that's fer sure." Red states as he and Sans scoot closer pinning me between them in a sort of Sanswich. Blushing lightly, I manage to doze off before the sound of a shutter brings me to semi-wakefulness. Opening my eye sockets, I see Pap with his phone taking a camera. Seemingly while we were waiting Sans, Red and I had fallen asleep on each other, the other two slightly turned to me holding me in their sleep.

 

"DINNER IS READY SLEEPY BONES." Is all Pap says before returning to the kitchen. Yawning I feel Sans and Red get up sharing a glance before Sans picks me up bridal style carrying me into the kitchen, a blue blush dominating my face as Red follows to our left. Red smirks as he notices my glance, winking at me causing my blush to deepen as I cover my face with my hands. 

 

Sans seats me between himself and Red a plate of spaghetti in front of me. Shakily taking my fork I manage to start eating although I am getting sauce all over myself in the process I cannot get my hands to stop shaking. It tastes just like home. Happy memories flood my thoughts as I slowly eat the spaghetti barely paying attention to anyone else. I don't notice when someone uses their magyk to steady my hand nor when a napkin wipes up the mess I've made so far.

 

I zone in when the magyk steadying my arm lets go as soon as I finish my last bite. An arm I register as Red's brings a cup to me and I quickly snatch it up downing the whole glass as I don't realize how thirsty I am until I take that first sip. 

 

"Slow down Runie it won't run away from ya." Red scolds lightly as he takes the now empty glass from my slightly shaking hands. 

 

"Why's he shaking so much?" Stretch questions, and now that I'm not so surprised by his similar tone it doesn't upset me as much as I can hear the major differences now. 

 

"Dunno Stretch, I don't think he can kelp it though." Sans explains, earning him twin groans from the three Papyrus' in the room and a light chuckle from Red.

 

"C'mon Runie, I have another one of what yer wearin now ya need to shower." Red instructs as he leads me to the bathroom, Sans going to get the clothes. The bathroom that is connected to their room is rather large, two sinks and a garden tub with enough room for a shower, toilet and some shelves on the other side without being cramped at all. 

 

Sitting me down on the edge of the tub Red proceeds to fill it with warm water. As Red is doing so Sans brings the clothes in with a towel and wash cloth. 

 

"You got things covered here, Rune?" Sans questions as the tub finishes filling. Nodding, the two leave the room shutting the door behind them with a ‘holler if ya need us' from Red.

 

Once I'm alone in the bathroom does the room feel, rather empty. Not once since I've woken here I've been alone. And now that I am my thoughts surround me, encompassing me, smothering me. The events of the past week weigh down on me like weights on my soul. 

 

Am I being a burden to them? Red and Sans have been doing so much for me, do they think I'm helpless or is it something else? Why am I such a waste of space? Thoughts spiral in my head as I sit on the edge of the tub, head in my hands. I undress, minding my ‘newer' appendages as I try to ignore my scarred form in the mirror.

 

The water is just the right temperature when I slip in the tub. Sighing as I get settled, I grab the rag and soap, lathering it up before setting the bar back down. I go to start cleaning when something catches my eye. There's a razor sitting on the side of the tub, right within reach. 

 

My arms begin to itch as the familiar looking tool taunts me, invites me to carve my sins into my bones as atonement. Hand shaking, I reach for it, pausing just as I go to pick it up. Grasping the small piece of metal, I inspect it closely. It looks brand new, no sign that it had been used yet. I wonder what Sans or Red would use such a thing for. The thought passes my mind as I press the razor to my wrist, pressing down lightly. Marrow slowly seeps from the fresh cut, the razor being rather sharp. Good.

 

A knock startles me out of my inner thoughts, accidentally causing me to cut deeper than intended, the marrow leaking out of my wrist faster than before. 

 

"Ya okay in there, Rune? You've been in there fer a while now." Reds voice rings through the door, sounding slightly more muffled by the end of his sentence. 

 

"I'm finnnnnnnneee" I slur, noticing with a slight delay that I'm bleeding too fast. Trying to summon my magyk proves useless as the room spins the moment I try to utilize it. Huh, I guess I will get to……………what was I thinking? Huh? Why is the water red? Is someone calling me? It's………….cold…..why is it so cold?

 

"…une…."

 

"Rune….."

 

"RUNIX ANSWER ME!!!!!"

 

"OH STARS…….SANS!!! GET ME THE MEDKIT!!!!"

 

"Ya better live ya ass"

 

"We're gonna kick his ass when he wakes up, yeah?"

 

"Sure thing Sansey, he owes us fer worryin us so much"

 

"D-don't call me that!"

 

"What? Sansey I'm shore I……."

 

Why does my head hurt? Oh yeah, I accidentally……damnitt explaining that I wasn't trying what it looked like I was trying is going to be a pain…… 

 

Opening my eye sockets, I immediately close them from the brightness of the room. It seems that the curtains are open to a sunny day. Staring out into the bright of what appears to be summer sky, I miss when someone walks in. That is, until they slap me, startling me out of my inner monologue. 

 

"Yer a fuckin ass, ya know that Runie?" Turning to look I see Red is……….crying? 

 

Why would he cry about me? 

 

"It's because we care, Rune." Sans chimes in, his own tears staining his face as he comes in, holding a bowl of soup. 

 

How did he...? 

 

"Yer sayin these things out loud, ya know." Red chimes in before I finish what I thought was a thought.

 

"Why did you try to do that?" Sans asks as he places a tray in my lap before setting the bowl on it with a spoon. Trying to lift the spoon to feed myself I end up spilling it all back in the bowl, neither arm will stop shaking enough to allow me to eat. 

 

Sighing, Sans and Red share a look before Sans grabs the spoon from me, all conversation stopping until they feed me the whole bowl. The three of us blushing deeply our respective colors. 

 

"So, spill Runie, why?" Red asks, Sans turning to me as well. 

 

"I……wasn't trying to……die this time. I just…..needed to…."

 

"Mark yerself up more?" Red adds in, giving me a look that makes me think he's been where I was and knows what I feel, at least somewhat. 

 

"Y-yeah" I admit, stuttering slightly. 

 

"When you knocked, I jumped and unintentially cut way deeper than intended." Flinching at Sans and Red's looks of deep concern. 

 

"Well you shouldn't've bean doing that to beegin with." Sans scolds lightly, glancing down at my bandaged wrist. I wince at their tone, but nod in agreement anyway. 

 

"Ya know we won't leaf ya alone from now on, right?" Red says simply. 

 

"Don't you guys work?" I mumble sulkily. 

 

"We work from home Rune." Sans supplies, "We can keep an eye socket on you most of the day, which we will" Sans finishes, his left eye flashing a quick blue/yellow to make his point.

 

"O-okay" I mumble, looking down at my lap, knowing that I'll want to soon I can already feel my injured wrist itch and burn for more. I don't notice that I've started scratching at the bandages until a hand gently pulls mine away from the injured wrist, the bandages slightly reddened from where I was absentmindedly scratching at. 

 

"Looks like we'll have to change them now." Sans comments, grasping just past the bandages to keep my wrist still. 

 

"We could just heal it now that he's conscious." Red mutters, returning with a damp rag. Nodding, Sans begins unwrapping the bandages reveals the rather large cut, bright red and raw, drying marrow peeking out of the slowly healing injury. It only occurs to me that they might not be able to use healing magyk on an unconscious target. The wound itself is cleaned with the rag, cleaning off the dried marrow leaving only one drop of fresh marrow sitting on my wrist.

 

Sharing a look between them Red's right hand hovers over the cut, eye light flashing a bright red before the wound slowly knits itself together. Glancing up at Red I see magykal sweat trickling down his fourhead. 

 

"Red? C'mon guys don't………don't strain yourself for…….." my worthless self goes unsaid as both level me with a look as the cut finally closes. Sans bops me on the head as I stare at the slightly larger scar on my wrist. 

 

"Don't you even dare, Runix." Sans scolds as Red takes the rag and throws it in the bin. "And don't try ta lie to us either, Rune. We see through yer bullshitt yer tryin to sell." Red grumbles as he returns to the room. "Now c'mon let's go downstairs. We won't tell or bros or Blue what happened, but Blue can also see through yer shitt so don't try anythin." He mutters as they pull me from the bead handing me my black fluffy coat which I immediately put on sighing as the familiar weight calms my fractured nerves.

 

"OUR BROS WENT TO A PUZZLE CONVENTION AND YES, EVEN MY LAZY BROTHER WENT, SO IT'S JUST US SANS' FOR TODAY" Blue announces as the three of us arrive in the living room. Sans nods and accepts the bundle of cloth that Blue hands him, porting out to return a second later. 

 

"How about a movie then?" Red suggests, plopping down on the couch next to Sans, the two sitting close. 

 

"THAT'S A GOOD IDEA WHY DON'T WE LET RUNIX CHOOSE. I SHALL MAKE THE POPCORN AND BRING THE POP." Blue suggests as he heads to the kitchen. 

 

"Tha movies are in tha drawer under the tv pick what ya think you'll like."

 

Heading to the large tv I kneel to look what kind of movies they have. Deciding on something called "Harry Potter", some kind of eight disk set, I hand it to Blue as he sets down the popcorn and some bottles labeled ‘Pop'. 

 

"I guess we'll start with the first movie then and see how far we go then." Sans comments from his spot next to Red, leaning into his mate and I have to turn away from the pang of guilt I feel for falling for the two of them so embarrassingly quickly. Stars damnitt, two monsters with a mate. Blue gives me a look that startles me out of my inner struggle due to how much it matches my own. Like he's saying ‘I understand, I feel the same as you'

 

Sitting down in the middle of the couch being careful not to get too close to Sans and Red, I grab the offered bottle of Pop and bowl of popcorn I end up sharing with Blue. Pressing play on the remote before using my magyk to place it on the coffee table I get comfortable to watch the movie marathon. Sans and Red doze off middle of the one called ‘The Order of the Phoenix' and Blue himself dozes off near the end of the last movie, which turns out is part to of the seventh movie called ‘The Deathly Hallows'. Smiling gently at their sleeping faces I finish the movie before I, as quietly as possible, bring blankets from upstairs and cover the others in them.

 

 

 

 

 

The next morning, Runix is gone.


	4. Finding Runix

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Trying to find one shape-shifting skeleton can be hard, especially when they don't want to be found.
> 
> 0For further reference on Fell's weapon, here's a link: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Katar_(dagger)

The morning starts just like any other, Red and Sans getting up at noon to Blues excited knocking as the bandana-clad skeleton had taken to making them brunch as the two tend to not be able to wake up before noon. 

 

"Would you mind getting Rune while Sans and I shower? He's been sleeping in the guest room." Red requests as he goes to join Sans in the bathroom. 

 

"Sure! Just let me set some things down first and I'll do so." Blue chirps happily to Red's retreating form. The second he is alone his cheerful smile wavers, a soft sigh escaping Blue as he trudges to put his cooking supplies for today's meal on the counter and getting out the cookware necessary. Perhaps Runix would be willing to cook with him and the can bond more on their shared interest for Red and Sans. Light blue tears streak down his face as Blue leans over the counter, guilt over feeling happy about their mutual pinning over the two lovers. Sniffling, Blue wipes his tears on his scarf before fixing it back and heading up the stairs to the guest room where Runix sleeps. 

 

"Hey, Runix." Blue greets as he turns around-

 

To greet an empty room, window open and curtains flowing from the warm summer breeze flowing in. Blue cries out in shock, propelling himself towards the window and peering out at the open field that served as their backyard. His shout alerted the others something being amiss as Red and Sans stumble into the room right as Blue pulls his head back in the room. Their various states of haphazard undress would be funny if it weren't for their guest being missing. Runix' LOVE notwithstanding the slightly shorter monster had clearly never been to the surface before and would no doubt get himself into trouble. 

 

"WE HAVE TO FIND HIM!" Blue shouts, his tears returning although for a different reason than before. "HE…….HE COULD BE HURT! OR WORSE!" Blue sobs out, pushing past Red and Sans' stunned forms furiously tapping on his phone to alert the others of the current events getting various responses that they'll be there shortly. Pappy, Papyrus, and Fell arrived first followed shortly by Toriel who surprisingly brings Asgore with her; SwapChara, FellFrisk, and TaleFrisk right behind them. Undyne comes crashing through the front door, managing not to break it cradling a blushing Alphys in her arms. Placing her girlfriend down Undyne shuts the door, Toriel whipping up a quick meal as they wait for Red and Sans to join them in the now crowded living room.

 

The moment Sans and Red arrive in the living room Toriel sits them down with their own plate telling them none too gently that they will eat before any plans to find their wayward friend are made. Neither argues and soon Toriel puts the dishes in the dishwasher, returning to the living room with a grim look on her furry face. 

 

"We need a plan of action." Asgore starts, nervously twiddling his large paws as time ticks by slowly. 

 

"Well for starters, someone will have to remain here in case he returns here." Toriel starts. "The children and one of us monsters should stay, someone who can take these ‘shortcuts' in case something else happens," Toriel suggests, glancing around the room. 

 

"I'll do it, I've never been good at searching for anything." Pappy volunteers, raising his hand slightly all hints of his usual lazy demeanor replaced by one of intense focus. Toriel nods, glancing around the room once more. 

 

"Asgore could you look through the news to see if anything comes up?" Asgore nods, going to the other room to search the news sites and channels. "Sans and Red we'll need you two to keep your ‘shortcuts' at the ready, ok?" Sans and Red not, focused intent clear in their eye lights. "Undyne do you and Alphys think you can round up the dogs and go on a scent hunt?" Undyne nods 

 

"Yeah as long as we have something with his scent on it." Alphys clarifies, her stutter gone for now as she is leaned close to her girlfriend. 

 

"We still have his old clothes that we haven't thrown away will that work?" Blue asks, getting up as to go get said items. 

 

"Yes, that will be perfect," Undyne instructs, leaving with Alphys the second Blue returns with a plastic bag containing Runix' old clothes. 

 

"Papyrus dear, do you and Fell think you two can cook up some intensive healing food? We don't know what kind of state he'll be in when we find him. Especially with how he's been described to me over the phone." Toriel asks gaining immediate nods as the two skeletons leave the room towards the kitchen. "Let's see what Asgore has dug up so far, shall we?" Toriel suggests; Blue, Sans and Red not far behind her. As they approach the room they hear several news channels streaming at once, the soft tapping on a keyboard barely heard over the constant chatter of several news reporters. 

 

"Hey Fluffybuns, anything yet?" Sans asks as they walk into the room, seeing several TV's set up on different news channels and Asgore at the computer desk with his laptop, jumping slightly at Sans' voice Asgore waves softly at them. 

 

"Nothing yet but I'm still working on it I'm sorry." Asgore visibly shrunk within himself at his own words, fiddling with his paws as Toriel places a paw on his shoulder, patting his head softly. 

 

"It's ok Gorey we'll find him, it's only a matter of time." Toriel soothed. She brings up a chair beside Asgore and the two begin to search together. Red shrugs and motions to the couch in front of the tv's and Sans follows behind as the two sit to watch the various news channels being broadcasted on the various screens.

"DINNER IS READY! COME AND GET IT!" Papyrus' voice rings out through the house, startling the four in the room. They get up, popping as they stretch from their fixed spots on the couch and chairs they sat in for hours. Walking into the kitchen revealed the large table already set with food and drink. Undyne, Alphys, Papyrus, Fell and the three children already sitting in their usual seats. Steam rose from the bowls of soup, the smell that's wafting from them delicious as the four sat down to eat. Everyone begins eating as easy conversation fills the room with laughter, Undyne raving about how delicious Papyrus and Fell's cooking has gotten. Papyrus blushes and mentions Toriels help in that aspect as Fell merely blushes, focusing instead on eating his own bowl of soup. The room settles in the usual chatter as dinner continues without incident.

 

The weeks following are some of the tensest the group has been in ages. Alphys soon joins Asgore in the watching of news reports and searching online even going as far as managing to hack a few police scanners for the surrounding area. Nothing shows up for the first week and a half before Alphys scrambles into the living room after another exhausting day of searching, Asgore right behind her looking tired as the two enter. Only the Sans' of the three AU'S are in the living room, their brothers and Toriel in the kitchen cooking something smelling amazing.

 

"We.....think we've found him," Alphys mumbles, looking down at her clawed feet. 

 

"What really?!??!?!" Blue exclaims, jumping up excitedly before sobering at the melancholy looks on both Asgore and Alphys' faces. "What is it what happened is he hurt?" Blue questions, sitting back down as Asgore makes himself comfortable on an overstuffed armchair in the corner. Plugging her laptop into the television, Alphys pulls up a video feed from yesterday.

 

Looking to be the low quality of a parking structure security camera, the group sees what appears to be a small child of dubious gender wandering into the lower level the camera is viewing followed by a creepy looking man wearing a trench coat. The man has a rag in his hand as he approaches the child who isn't facing him. Just inches from the child, said child turns quickly their eyes glowing a shocking familiar blue glow. The same said glow surrounds the guy, pummeling him around similar to how Sans and Red would to the kid in a genocide run except with no loads or saves. The sketchy camera doesn't have audio but they can make out what he's saying as the kid is facing the camera pretty well.

 

"So you fancy yourself a hero, huh? Saving mankind from the monster skum, yes? Well, you should prepare to meet your maker...It's a nice day outside. The birds are singing the flowers are blooming...and guys like you...SHOULD BE BURNING IN HELL"

 

What happens next is a mystery as the camera fizzles out right as the child finishes that specific line. Sans and Red are gaping at the now black screen, while Blue is wringing his hands in worry.

 

"That was moments before a news station reported a massive explosion where an anti-monster group attacked that exact spot, which is why the camera did what it did" Asgore explains to the silent room, the kitchen even gone silent as everyone listens to the former king of monsters speak.

 

"Well, it appears we have two places to investigate." Fell states as he enters the room wiping his hands off. "I assume you two know where the anti-monster group and this former parking garage are yes?" he asks the duo, leaning against the wall of the living room trying not to look too intimidating.

 

"Y-yes. We have the coordinates loaded into two GPS devices now." Alphys answers, supplying two rather sleek looking devices from her pockets, one red and one blue. "W-we should st-still consider leaving one to three of us here, just in case something else happens." She suggests, fiddling with the buttons of the blue device.

 

"Well water we waiting for let's find him already!" Red declares, going for the door to be stopped by Toriel, who had emerged from the kitchen with a worrisome look on her furry face.

 

"We need to prepare first. We'll do him no good running in there and get hurt or captured ourselves." She reminds him. Red huffs but otherwise makes no other movements towards the door. "The food is ready too let's eat" Toriel suggests as Papyrus brings out plates of her famous cinnamon butterscotch pie.

 

Once everyone has eaten and gotten the gear ready for the adventures, they meet back up in the living room once more. Asgore, Toriel, Alphys, Stretch, and Papyrus agree to stay at the house due to being the ablest to heal and have enough power between them to dissuade any attackers should there be any.

 

"Alright, so we have everything we need? Potions and everything?" Sans asks as Blue, Red, and Fell meet up with him in the living room. Stretch watches from the couch, pretending to be sleeping as the ones remaining in the house are in the kitchen.

 

"Yeah" Blue notes as he shoulders a bag, his war hammer in its smaller keychain form sitting in his palm. 

 

"Then let's go," Sans says as him and Red grab Fell and Blue, porting to the first site. When they get there, the party of four are not surprised to find the vicinity seemingly vacant. On edge immediately, the foursome walk towards the pile of rubble cautiously. Red and Fell take to the left side whilst Sans and Blue take to the right. The upper levels make up most of the rubble, only small hints that the lower levels might still be intact underneath. Neither side finds anything until they meet at the back of the former parking garage, where they see a large enough opening into the darkness below for someone of a rather large stature to be able to walk through with little difficulty. Nodding to each other, Sans and Red ignite balls of glowing magyk in their palms of their respective colors. Despite being red and blue of color they emit a rather bright and clear light into the depths.

 

After a small drop is a set of stairs leading further down. Blue and Fell ready their weapons to normal size; Blues war hammer and Fells twin katar. Blues war hammer is almost as tall as he is, white and the same blue as his magyk with an ax end on the other side of the hammer end gaster blaster head holding the hammer end in its mouth. Fells katar depict gaster blaster heads as well, except with blades extending out of the open maw of the blaster's heads. Fell is holding them by handles hidden within the back of the blasters' heads.

"Eyes open, be ready for anything" Fell whispers as the foursome make their way towards the stairs in the makeshift hall the rubble made in the explosion. They make it to the bottom of the stairs, looking around. What appears to be a normal enclosed parking garage surrounds them, light streaming in from small cut windows at varying distances on the walls. Seeing as it's much lighter, Sans and Red dim their magyk to free up their mana pool. The further they progress the more signs of a battle show. Large claw marks and dents line the floors and walls, closer together as they go on. At what appears to be the epicenter stands two of the pillars, one marked with several black lines. One looks rather fresh.

 

"Look over there" Sans points out, motioning for the others to join him at a pile of rubble facing the lined side of the pillar. Peeking out from the rubble is a human hand, presumably the human from the video footage.

 

"What's it holding?" Red asks, crouching down close to the corpse's hand. With some difficulty, Sans and Red manage to pry it open. In his hands is the purple collar Red had given Runix right before their arrival, rolled up tightly. The soft leather of the collar seems pristine as the day Red gave it to Runix, the dried blood on the hand seemingly missing the band altogether.

 

"This was planted here. Someone wanted us to see this. But who? The anti-monster group?"

 

Before anyone could respond, Reds phone rang loudly in the silence.

 

"You gotta get out of there! We managed to get the street cameras around the building and there are three black vans that just pulled up! Several humans have just got out in body armor and seem to be converging on the way you guys went in!" Alphys' for once stutter-less voice yells through the receiver, loud enough for all four skeletons to hear clearly.

 

"Damnitt" Red curses, glancing at the collar in his hand before looking at the others. "We have ta leave this or they'll know we know," Red tells them as he curls it back up the same way it was when they found it. "We'll find ya Rune, bee sure of that" Red mumbles as he places it back in the dead human's hand before grabbing onto Fell. Red nods to Sans and the two port Fell and Blue with them out of the building just as the first footfalls thunder down the stairs.

 

"That was rather close" Sans mutters as they port to the back porch of Grillbyz, the fenced in area perfect for hiding themselves from potential trackers. There's no telling if the anti-monster group had anything to track a shortcut or port so they couldn't directly port home. "What now?" he inquires, sipping some ketchup from a bottle in his inventory.

 

"We track tha fuckers is what." Red snarls, eye lights flashing angrily as he guzzles down his own bottle of mustard.

 

"And how the hell do you propose that?!" Fell quips, ignoring Blue's outcry at his language.

 

"Simple" Red says, pausing to drink the last of his mustard. "I put a bit of trackin magyk inta that collar. Thought it was a good idea. Turns out it was 'cuz it's on tha move."

 

"How do we know they won't notice it on the collar?" Blue pipes in, having been quiet since the hasty escape from the demolished structure.

 

"I only put 'nuff fer me ta bee able ta feel it." Red supplies "Now shut up so I can focus." He orders, gaining him some glares but otherwise quiet compliance. Muttering to himself, Red sits cross-legged seemingly focusing on something. "They've stopped. It isn't actually that far from the last place. Jus on the outskirts of tha city 'f I'm not mis-steak-in." Red murmurs, pulling out a map and pointing to the aforementioned spot.

 

"Lemme message that area to Alphys she should bee able to get us something more concrete." Sans drawls, before pecking Red on the cheek earning him a blushed glare from his mate. Blue looks away sadly at the exchange which while going unnoticed by Red and Sans doesn't slip by Fell, who gives him a pointed look.

 

Fell signs to Blue to get his attention while Sans and Red are distracted, signing 'you'll explain that later' with a worried expression on his normally either stoic or angry look. Blue nods, too nervous to come up with a rebuttal.

 

"Ya know, something seems off about the rubble from where we saw the footage of Runix. It's been bothering me since we got there." Blue chirps up after a few more minutes of relative silence.

 

"What is it Blue?" Sans asks as Red and Fell turn to look at Blue intensely, also curious.

 

"Well, it's just that.......I noticed a fine layer of dust on some of the surfaces. None of it looked like the usual dust from the explosion. It looked like the dust of something that had been undisturbed for a while." Blue clarifies "What if they made it seem like the explosion was today and were watching to see if and when we'd arrive?" Blue continues, a horrified expression as his brain supplies him with varying scenarios Runix might be in.

 

"Blue...Blue it's ok we're gonna save him." Sans soothes, patting Blue on the shoulder trying to calm him down with Red on Blues other side mirroring his mates' actions. Eventually, Blues sniffles subside and he gives the two a sad smile.

 

"I'm... I'm ok. Thank you, guys." Blue manages once he calms enough to speak. "Anything from Alphys yet?" he inquires, glancing at Sans' phone which is still in Sans' hand. As if summoned by Blues comment, Sans' phone dinged with a message from said monster. Sans unlocks his phone to see a live feed of cameras set around a seemingly abandoned factory.

 

"We are trying to hack into any security cameras on site we should be ready once you get close. Please be careful guys you might be in for a fight. While it seems like a small group of anti-monster members, they seem well armed." Alphys warns before cutting the feed through the phone.

 

"Well, what are we waiting for let's go!" Fell declares, standing tall from where he had sat down on a bench, all sharp angles and tense features. The other three nod before Sans and Red port them a few blocks from the warehouse. Sans' phone dings once more showing camera feeds from within the building, five armed humans inside guarding while another five are in a sort of lab from what the equipment they're using is like. In a dark corner of the lab sits a cage the inside unable to be seen from the camera angle and a strange large tube seemingly similar to a large test tube the liquid inside murky.

 

"Hang on Runie, we're coming for you. Please be ok." Blue mutters as the four carefully make their way inside, knocking out any guards that cross their path on the way to the labs.


End file.
